CEO Talks: Johnnie Boden on Retail, the Power of an Indie Brand

LONDON — There aren’t a lot of clothing retailers like Boden left in Britain: Founded in 1991 as a mail-order catalogue by Johnnie Boden — who remains owner and creative director — the company has evolved into an omnichannel business that’s profitable, growing, debt-free — and fiercely independent.

Known for its colorful, upbeat collections of women’s, men’s and children’s wear, Boden saw sales climb 13 percent to 347.1 million pounds in 2017, with pretax profits hitting 27.3 million pounds. Defying the fashion retail downturn in the U.K., Boden expects to have grown by 10 percent for 2018 because of an expanding customer base, a snappier women’s wear offer and sales across some 60 countries.